January First
by LovesBrooklyn
Summary: A handful of the Manhattan Newsboys struggle with the idea of becoming adults and facing the future when Jack is pulling them in one direction and David is steering them in another.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: January 1st

'It's January first. It's January first,' David kept repeating to himself numbly, frozen fingers wrapped around a lukewarm mug of coffee at Tibby's. 'It's January first.'

David Jacobs had only been a newsies for about 6 months but he had also been the brain behind the operation that entire time. So David knew full well that every January first all of the newsboys that would turn eighteen that upcoming year gather together on the roof of the lodge house and collectively decide one another's fate. David knew this but he didn't quite know what to expect.

The bell on the door chimed and David looked up to see Specs. David passed him the rest of his coffee as he sat down in the empty seat next to him. "Could be our last day, David," Specs mumbled quietly, casually.

This is what David is afraid of. "What do you think will happen," David asked, attempting to sound equally as casual.

"I think—"

Specs answer was cut off as Racetrack dramatically dropped himself into the seat across the table from them. "Heya," he exclaimed loudly. Then, after a moment, "What's da mattah wid da two a' yas, huh? Ya lookin' dumb an' glum!"

Specs rolled his eyes. "Come on, Race. It's January first."

Racetrack rolled his eyes in response. "Oh please! I'se made it drough two a dose meetin's untouched!" He leaned back in his chair proudly.

"You're _that_ old," David exclaimed without thinking.

"Well, I ain't no spring chick like yourself, David," Racetrack replied casually, lighting a cigar. "Listen," he said, leaning forward. "It ain't no big deal. We meet on the roof at 10:45, joke about how old we alls is an' den wake up at dawn an' sell again!"

Specs nodded confidently, seeming assured. David, on the other hand, still did not feel convinced…

* * *

David bought a hundred copies of that afternoon edition thinking that, if this was to be his last headline, he may as well go out with a bang.

"Why are we peddlin' so many papes today," Les whined, taking another 5 from David.

"It's January first, Les. We need to start this year off right," David answered distantly, clearly distracted. Les groaned and took off into the crowd of adults to sell his next five papes. David watched him go and sighed absently. What if Racetrack wasn't right about the meeting? What if it was more than that? What if the outcome wasn't that he got another year of selling papers? Les was too young to sell by himself and David didn't trust any of the other newsies to keep him focused enough to bring home the type of money his family needed. And what would David too? He couldn't return to school after a six month absence and he couldn't stomach the idea of working in a factory…

David's inner monologue was cut short when Les came running back to him, shouting about having finished selling his five papers. "How many of you sold, Davey," his little brother asked sweetly.  
"Uh…" David stammered awkwardly. "None. Not yet, at least."

"Come on, Davey," Les groaned, grabbing 10 more papes from his big brother's hands. "Mom made potatoes for dinner. I want to get a good one."

David chuckled, really chuckled for the first time that day. Les was so naïve to the significance of the day and David wasn't the type of big brother to rob him of that. He could keep a brave demeanor, if only for his little brother.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Thank you so much for the favorites and follows and reviews! You guys are wonderful._

"David, could you please help me clear the dishes," his mother asked him after the family had finished eating supper that evening.

"Of course," he replied, rising from his seat to help her. He began washing the silverware absently.

"You're staying in tonight, right, David? It's awfully cold outside to be running around," his father said from the kitchen table, looking over the evening newspaper David and Les had brought home for him.

"Well, there's actually a meeting at the lodge house I have to attend. I'm going to stay there tonight, if that's okay." David looked over his shoulder at his father and sister sitting at the kitchen table. He hated talking about the lodge house in front of Sarah. She and Jack had broken up three months back and he had a sneaky feeling she was having trouble moving past it.

"Sure, sure," his father muttered absently. "Did you see this, David? A fire in Harlem!"

* * *

At 10:45 that night, David stood on the roof with the other newsboys, jumping from foot to foot in an attempt to stay warm.

"It's so….so cold out here," Racetrack grumbled angrily.

David was too cold to even grunt his agreement. He had worn two large coats and various undershirts, three pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves, and a knitted hat but he found himself wishing he had brought a scarf along too. The other newsboys were wrapped in the younger boys coats that didn't quite reach their wrists. David wondered for the millionth time why this meeting had to take place on the roof. What's wrong with the lodge house lobby?

"Where is Jack," Racetrack demanded, loudly. David was wondering the same thing.

"Quit your whinin'! I'm here. I'm here," Jack called out, scrambling up the fire escape.

"Where were you," Racetrack grumbled, only slightly quieter.

"I was busy," Jack said absently. "It's cold as heck so let's get dawn ta business, alright? Who's got somethin' ta say?" Jack looked around the group pointedly, daring the boys to speak up.

"Actually," Itey said quietly, raising his hand. "Actually, I—"

"What," Jack snapped, his eyes narrowed.

"I'se jus' turned 17 yesterday so…" Itey trailed off.

"So what," Jack snapped again.

"So I ain't entirely sure how necessary it is dat I be here," Itey exclaimed. Jake and Snitch muttered their agreements. David remembered that the three of them had all just turned 17 in the last three weeks.

Jack remained silently for a second before spitting out, "Fine. Da three a ya's get outta here. Go."

David watched as the boys scrambled past each other and into the warmth of the lodge house. He wished his birthday was in December!

"Alright, boys," Jack said slowly, looking at the newsies who remained. David looked around the group too. Besides himself and Jack, Racetrack, Kid Blink, Specs, Skittery, and Snoddy were all there. "1900 is gonna be a big year, ya hear. I'm turnin' 18 next month."

"18 don't mean a thing, Jacky boy," Racetrack said, lighting a cigar with stiff, frozen fingers. "Don't mean a thing."

"How long ya gonna keep actin' like a kid, Race? Huh? How long we all gonna keep actin' like kids," Jack demanded loudly.

"As long as we can all still pass for 16 or 17, what's da point in admittin' we're adults, huh," Racetrack asked, just as loudly.

"Well, what's da point of puttin' it off?" Jack asked, heated. "We leave here tonight, we start lookin' for jobs in da factories an' work yards, we could be employed by Monday! We keep hangin' 'round, waitin' for nuthin', den who knows when we'lls be employeed! Da woik force ain't getting' any easier or more welcomin' wid time."

Racetrack was clearly frustrated, his breath labored and hands shaking. David knew that as second in charge, he should step in and smooth things over between the boys. David opened his mouth to speak up, to fix the situation like he always did. He was the brains, he had to have something to offer… but he found that he did not. For the first time in as long as he could remember, David did not know what to think or what to do.

Finally, Kid Blink spoke up. "Ya know, Jacky … maybe we could revisit dis, ya know? After your birthday," he offered up timidly. David tried to nod in agreement but he found himself unable to move.

"What's gonna change in six weeks," Jack asked. The surrounding newsies glanced at each other quietly.

David cleared his throat. It was time for him to take charge. "Who here…who here likes selling papes," he asked timidly. None of the boys answered but David was used to their hesitation. "Come on, work with me. Who here likes selling papes?" All of the boys except Jack murmured their agreement. "And who here wants to work in a factory?" The boys all remained silent. David shrugged his shoulders dramatically. "Seems to me like we're not ready to have this conversation then."

"All of ya's need ta get outta me face now," Jack screeched, his voice ringing out in the cold night air. "I don't wanna see any ya's. Ya hear me?"

David sighed as Blink, Race, Specs, Skittery, and Snoddy scrambled for the door, practically tackling each other to be the first off of the roof. David wished he could be as lucky but he knew he had a huge issue on his hand. He had just disrespected the respected, the famous Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm planning on having two more chapters._

"Watcha want, David," Jack demanded, not turning around.

David silently cursed himself. He thought he had been walking down the fire escape so slowly and carefully! He never could get anything past Jack though. David opened his mouth to speak-

"Just kidding, David! I don't wanna hear it," Jack sneered before David could say anything. David rolled his eyes. Jack was sitting on the final step of the fire escape, shoulders rounded and feet hanging off the edge.

"Alright, Jack. Just say what you want to say," David said with a sigh.

"Why would I have anything to say to you, David? You're supposed to be my second in charge! You're supposed to back me in everything I say and do! You're supposed to explain my decisions to my men, not totally disregard me," Jack exclaimed, still not turning to face David.

David took three more steps down toward Jack. "I know but..."

"But what? There's no excuses, David!"

"Jack, you must admit you are being a little bit hasty," David tried desperately to reason with him.

"How can you be hasty when it comes to the future," Jack demanded, finally turning around to face him. "We both know none of us boys can sell papes forever! Do you deny that we're getting older?"

"No, of course not but-"

"But nothing! For Christ's sake, but nothing!"

David sighed deeply, running his cold, gloved hands over his frozen face harshly. He had to find a way to express his feelings accurately. He had to find a way to force Jack to drop this. "If you...if you," David began slowly.

"If I what," Jack questioned, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

"If you start admitting that you're an adult then...then..."

"Then what," Jack snapped impatiently.

"Then any trouble you cause will send you straight to jail and I mean jail-jail, not the refuge," David exclaimed. Even before he said the words out loud, he knew this was not the reasoning to get Jack to drop this whole adult thing.

Sure enough, Jack rolled his eyes. "Please, David. When you're an adult, you don't start trouble like we start trouble now. Give me a break."

David rolled his eyes in response. No way would Jack Kelly stop causing trouble just because he was working in a factory instead of out on the streets. In fact, David was sure that the cramped, dark space would make him even quicker to fight. David slowly closed the space between Jack Kelly and himself, sitting on the stair just above him. David put his hand on his shoulder. "Jack, I'm only going to say this because I'm your best friend and I want to be honest with you," David said slowly. Jack scoffed in response. "Do you understand that," David asked gently.

Jack didn't respond so David took that as his permission to continue. His mouth felt dry and stiff. "Jack, right now you have things pretty good. You have a place to sleep and a few coins in your pocket and-"

"And a few black eyes," Jack sneered.

"Well, yes...but you also have respectability and seniority. Kids all throughout the city know who you are. You're Jack Kelly, the famous strike leader!"

"I'll still be Jack Kelly, the famous-"

"But you won't be! You'll have to pay taxes and do legal things! You'll have to be..." David hesitated before saying Jack's real name. "Francis Sullivan." Jack growled but David continued.

"I could still be called Jack," Cowboy exclaimed, in an almost whiney voice.

"Yes, but you'll be a has-been! Jack Kelly will be washed up and pointless. You'll be ...the angry man who had his 15 minutes- no, 15 seconds- of fame! Right now, you have men under you! You have power to make decisions and dictate people's actions. But, Jack, as soon as you step foot out of the lodge house for the last time, that all ends. You'll be nothing. You'll be just another factory worker with nothing. No power, no men. Nothing." Jack remained silent. David sighed. "It's all going to be over soon, Jack. You're right. But why throw everything away for nothing when you can put it of for 6, 8, 12 months?"

Jack remained silently for many long moments before growling, "Can we pretend that I never wanted to quit?" Jack looked over at him with wide, silent eyes.

"Yes," David said, chuckling. "That's one thing I'll back you on!"


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: This is my last chapter! I didn't quite get the reviews and read back I wanted on this but it's okay! I'm already in the process of posting 'Snoddy and Side Alley' so check that one out and review both this and that please. Thank you!_

* * *

Sleeping at the lodge house that night reminded David of why he didn't do so on a regular basis. Too many boys all trying to steal each other's clothes and cigars and towels, Kloppman's rude awakening... it just didn't compare to sleeping next to Les' still body and being awaken by the gentle touch of his mother or Sarah.

David had slept on the bunch below Jack's, which was reserved for himself or Spot Colon when he was in town. To David's surprise, Jack never entered the lodge house that night. He assumed that Jack had gone and slept on the fire escape outside his own house, which he often did when he was distraught and seeking Sarah's comfort back when they were dating. The boys from last night's meeting had already been asleep, or at least pretending to be so, when David had entered the lodge house after speaking to Jack. David considered this to be to his advantage because he had no idea how to address the situation at hand.

The boys who had been at the meeting last night were not the happiest campers the next morning. "What's da mattah wid ya, huh? You'se actin' dumb an' glum," David joked with Racetrack in the washroom that morning, faking a thick street accent and silly smirk. Racetrack glared at him silently and didn't answer back.

After a hectic 15 minutes attempting to freshen up in the crowded washroom, David made his way to the distribution center with Blink, Race, Specs, Skittery, and Snoddy awkwardly trudging behind him.

"I think David's our leader now," David heard Racetrack mutter while approaching the distribution center.

"No, I'm not," David said quickly, turning around to face them. "Jack is the leader."

"He doesn't want it to be our leader," Blink reminded David. "You were there last night!"

"Jack and I had a private meeting after you guys went into the bunkroom. We...worked something out. Don't worry about it. I took care of it," David informed them. They looked at him skeptically. "I did. That's my job, as second in charge."

Most of the boys present nodded confidently but Racetrack muttered, "Thought I was second in charge." This brought a chuckle from the surrounding boys who heard it but Racetrack widened his eyes in surprise. " I really thought I was," he insisted.

As Race said that, the distribution bell rang and the gates opened, revealing that a very sleepy looking Jack Kelly had opened them. "Jack," Mush cried, rushing toward him. "Boys, look who it is! It's Jack!"

David smiled. Good old Mush making his job of convincing the other boys to forget what Jack had said so much easier! "Jack," David greeted him, holding his hand out for a shake. Jack gave him a spit shake before turning toward the distribution window.

"Looking kind of old there, Jacky Boy," Morris Delancey cooed from behind the bars of the distribution center. "How much longer 'til you give up papes?"

"Oh, I reckon I got 8, 9 more years in me, Morris," Jack replied cooly before throwing two bits down on the counter. "The usual."

"Hundred papes," Weasel said without looking up and David watched happily as Jack took his papers and began greeting his boys before the busy work day.

David was good at lots of things, but he was best at being Jack Kelly's second in charge.


End file.
